Fan construction



Dec. 15, 1959 D. R. RUEGSEGGER mu CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJan. 21, 1955 INVENTOR. 07147; Z Zz/ezsezge'r azwz/s,

Dec. 15, 1959 o. R. RUEGSEGGER 2,917,227

FAN CONSTRUCTIQN Filed Jan. 21, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent FAN CONSTRUCTION Donald R. Ruegsegger, Detroit,Mich.

Application January 21, 1955, Serial No. 483,362

6 Claims. 01. 230-114 The present invention relates generally to a fanconstruction and more specifically to a ceiling fan construction'adapted to be mounted in a ceiling opening.

In prior exhaust fans, and particularly in ceiling exhaust fans, it hasbeen conventional to equip the fan housing with a multi-bladed fan and aseparate shutter to close the air inlet opening when the fan is notoperating. In some of these fans, the shutter is manually operated whilein other cases, the shutter is provided with an automatic device to openand close it in response to the starting. and stopping of the fan. Whenthe shutter is manually operated, it frequently occurs that the fan isaccidentally operated with the shutter closed or the shutter is notclosed after use of the fan. When the shutter is automatic, themechanism is complex, likely to go out of order, and the entire fan isunduly expensive to buy and install. In addition, many of the existingceiling exhaust fans of both types are noisy and transmit considerablevibration to the surrounding building structure.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a fanconstruction embodying a combined fan and shutter which requires noshutter operating mechanism by virtue of the shutter and fan beingcombined, with the former being operated, at least in part, by thepassage of air or other fluid through the fan.

Another object is to provide a fan construction embodying a simplesoundand vibration-dampening mounting between the motor and fan, on theone hand, and the ceiling mounting plate, on the other hand.

Another object is to provide a combination fan and shutter employinghinged shutter blades in which both the passage of air and centrifugalforce is utilized to open the shutter and gravity is employed to closeit.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent,or will become apparent, in the more detailed description of theinvention to follow when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of the fan construction of this inventionshowing the shutter-operating weights (in solid outline), partiallyretracted for convenient illustration and showing in phantom outline Athe weightin the shutter-closed position and in phantom outline B in theshutter-open position;

Fig. 2 is a side view in section of the fan of Fig. 1 showing theshutter closed, the section being taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1';

Fig. 3 is another side view in section similar to that of Fig. 2, thesection being taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side view in section through one of the hollow motor mountframe members of the fan of Figs. 1 to 3, the section being taken alongthe line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional side view through the central fanplate showingthe upstanding fixed 'airmoving vanes and the hingedshutter vanes in'the closed Fig. 6 is another fragmentary sectional sideview through the central fan plate, similar'to that of Fig. 5, butshowing the hinged shutter vanes in the open position; and

Fig. 7 is an end view of the fan plate with the shutter closed andshowing the manner of connecting the-centrifugal weight and the hingedshutter vane.

In accordance with the present invention, a fan consruction is providedwhich includes a combined fan and shutter comprising a central circularvane-mounting plate (or fan-shutter plate) to which are attached pairsof vanes each composed of a fixed air-moving vane and a hinged shuttervane, the two vanes of each pair being joined at their base tothe'vane-mounting plate and the hinged shutter vanes being arranged tolie flat and close the openings between the fixed air moving vanes whenthe fan is not operating, and to be raised by combination'of the passageof air and centrifugal force to assume a position nearly parallel withthe fixed air moving vane when the fan is operating. The fanconstruction of this inventionalso includes a novel lightweight fan andmotor mounting frame comprising hollow, structural members and a numberof intersecting plates, all of which are attached to a ceilingorwall-mounting plate by a novel sound and vibration-dampening mountingcomprising a resilient memberhaving a body portion for insertion in eachend of the hollow frame members and an integral head portion or capwhich fits across the end of such member and a screw-type fasteningdevice passed through the ceiling-mounting plate and through theresilient member to compress and, expand the body portion thereof insidethe hollow structural member.

Referring nowto the drawings, the fan of this invention isseen tocomprise a base plate or wallor ceiling-mounting plate 10 whichisdesigned for mounting in an opening in a wall or ceiling. Attached tothe 'plate 10 are a pair of intersecting frame-members 11, 12 which aretubular or of other hollow structural shape. As shown best in Fig. 2,the member 11 is bent in on itself at right angles to form two legs 13at right angles to the plate 10, and asubstantially straight-horizontalbar 14' connecting the legs. Member 12 also has two substantiallystraight legs 15 which intersect the plate" 10 at about right angles butits middle bar 16 is given a reverse bend so as to be spaced apart fromthe middle bar 14 of member 11. The members 11, 12' are braced againstone another by a pair of intersecting plates 17, 18. Plate 17 is welded,brazed or soldered to one side of the middle bar 14' of member 11, whileplate 18 is similarly attached to the depressed middle bar16 of member12. Plate 18 is slotted to receive plate 17 and the two plates may bewelded, spot welded or brazed along their intersections, if desired.Plate 17 is considerably longer than plate 18 so as to provide amounting surface to which is attached a motor 19.

Secured to plate 17 above its point of intersection with plate 18 is anupper bearing 30. Likewise, secured to plate 18 below its intersectionwith plate 17 is a lower bearing 30 identical with the upper bearing. Inthe bearings '30 there is journalled a fan shaft 31 which carries on itsupwardly-projecting end a V-belt pulley 32. The motor 19 carries aV-belt pulley 34 over which is placed a V-belt 33 for driving shaft 31.

The entire motor and fan shaft supporting frame just described ismounted on a noiseand vibration-dampening mounting, shown most clearlyin Fig. 4, which comprises a unitary resilient member 40 of rubber orplastic having a body portion 41 shaped to be inserted in the tubular orother shaped hollow structural leg members 13, 15 and an enlarged heador cap 42 which fits over the end of member 13. Passed longitudinallythrough the plate 10, head 42 and body portion 41 is a bolt 43 having aninternal washer 44 and a nut 45. When the bolt 43 and 'nut 45 aretightened down, the Washer 44- compresses the resilient body portion 41,causing it to expand into tight contact with the inner surface of themember 13. With this arrangement, there is no direct metal-to-metalcontact between the leg 13 and the plate 10, the vibration induced bythe motor 19 and shaft 31 being expended to a considerable extent byrocking on the resilient pad formed by the head 42 of the resilientmember 40.

On the mounting just described, the combination fan and shutter issuspended in a circular air inlet opening 50 in the mounting plate 10.The combination fan and shutter includes a small central vane-mountingplate 51 (see Figs. 2 and 3) mounted substantially fiush with plate andattached to and supported from shaft 31 by means of a hub 52. The hub 52is spot welded, brazed or soldered to the plate 51 and is secured toshaft 31 by means of a set screw 53. Attached radially around thecircumference of plate 51 are pairs of vanes 54, 55, the former of whichis fixed and raised with respect to plate 51 in the direction of airfiow and the latter is hinged and free to swing on its mounting. Asappears most correct angle and attaching it to plate 51 by means ofsmall rivets or bolts 56. A part of the lower edge of each of vanes 54is cut and rolled backwardly on itself to form a plurality of hingemembers 58. Likewise, the lower edges of the shutter vanes 55 are cutand rolled the opposite way to form a plurality of complementary hingeparts 59. The hinge parts 58 and 59 are fitted together and a small pin60 passed therethrough to secure the vanes 55 to vanes 54. The pin 60 isupset on the outer end and welded, if desired, to plate 51. Thusprovided, the shutter vanes can rotate about pin 60 to assume a positionnearly parallel to the fixed, air-moving vanes. The outer edges of thehinged shutter vanes 55 are crimped upwardly to form a tab 61 which fitssnugly against the lower edge of the next adjacent upstanding fixed vane54 to effect a seal against the passageof dirt,

insects, cold or hot outer air, and the like, when the fan is notoperating.

As appears most clearly in Figs. 1, 2 and 7, each of the fixed vanes 54is provided with a centrifugal weight 62 which is pivotally securedthereto by means of a rivet or bolt 64. As will be noted, the weight 62is a segment of a circle and is attached to rivet 64 at about the centerof the circle. Attached to an outer corner of weight 64 is a chain orother linkage 66 which is extended over the edge of vane 54 and fastenedto the hinged vane 55 located therebelow. So mounted, the weights 62will tend to swing outwardly under centrifugal force induced by rotationof plate 51 so that its center line can align itself to coincide with aprojected radius of plate 51. The chain length, however, causes theweight to assume a position shown in phantom at B in Fig. 1. When thisoccurs, chain 66 will be pulled upwardly to raise the vane 55, thusopening the shutter. The air flow will also assist in swinging theshutter vanes 55, the two forces causing the hinged vanes 55 to approachparallelism with the the same time the centrifugal force exerted on theweights 62 will cause the latter to pivot outwardly exerting a pull onthe linkages 66. As the flow of air through the fan increases, the airflow will further buoy the shutter blades causing them to approachparallelism with the fixed fan blades. The shutter at this point isopen. When the motor 19 is shut off the air flow through the fandecreases and the centrifugal force on the weights also decreasesallowing the shutter vanes to gradually pivot down until they contactthe fixed air vanes. The disposition of the weights 62 then willapproximate the phantom outline A of Fig. 2. Closing of the shutter isgradually, quietly and automatically accomplished according to the speedof the fan.

The use of counterweights to assist in opening the shutter vanes is notalways required if the material of the vanes is light and the speed ofrotation high enough.

However, since exhaust fans, and particularly ceiling fans, are lessnoisy when made in larger sizes and operated at lower speeds, it ispreferred to counterweight the shutter vanes to make lower speeds ofrotation more feasible.

With the fan construction of this invention, it is impossible to forgetto open the shutter and there are no tion.

complicated or delicately balanced shutter opening and closingmechanisms to get out of order. The entire assembly is of lightconstruction, requiring no extra bracing, framing or fastening devicesfor the usual installa- While the combination fan and shutter operatesbest as a ceiling fan, that is, with gravity operable at right angles tocause the hinged shutter blades to fall to the closed position, it isalso within the scope of this invention to ut lize the fan as a wall fanwherein the hinged vanes are balanced, or counterweighted or mounted onan inclined axis in such a way that gravity will cause them to shut whenthe fan is stopped. The resilient mounting of the motor shaft and fan onthe mounting plate greatly assists in making the fan quiet in operation.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fan construction, a rotatable central hub having a plurality ofangularly spaced air moving radial vanes fixedly connected thereto androtatable therewith, each of said vanes having a separately formedshutter member pivotally attached thereto and adapted to close theopenings between said vanes when the fan is at rest, said shuttermembers being pivotable toward their associated vanes upon rotation ofthe fan, whereby the spaces between said vanes are opened for themovement of air therethrough.

2. The construction set forth in claim 1 wherein said shutter membersare pivotable upwardly against their associated vanes and lie flatlythereagainst during rotation of the fan. v

3. In a ceiling fan construction a rotatable central hub and a pluralityof circumferentially spaced air moving radial vanes fixedly connected tosaid hub and rotatable therewith, said fixed vanes having leading edgesdisposed in a substantially common plane with said hub, each of saidvanes having a separately formed shutter member pivotally secured to itsleading edge, said shutters adapted to close the openings between saidvanes, said hub, said shutter members and the leading edges of saidvanesforrning a substantially fiat continuous surface when the fan is atrest, said shutter members being pivotable upwardly toward said fixedvanes upon rotation of the fan to free the openings between said vanesfor the movement of air therethrough.

4. In a fan construction, a rotatable central hub having a plurality ofangularly spaced air moving radial vanes fixedly connected thereto androtatable therewith, each of said vanes having a separately formedshutter member pivotally attached thereto and adapted to close theopenings between said vanes when the fan is at rest, centrifugallyactivated means coactive with said shutter members and operable to movethe latter toward their respective fixed vanes whereby the spacesbetween said vanes are opened for the movement of air therethrough.

5. In a fan construction, a rotatable central hub, a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced air moving radial vanes fixedly connected tosaid hub and rotatable therewith, each of said fixed vanes having ahinged shutter member pivotally secured thereto and adapted to close theopenings between said fixed vanes when the fan is at rest, and means formoving said shutter members out of said closure position toward saidfixed vanes upon rotation of the fan, said means including weightspivotally mounted on said vanes swingable outwardly when the fan isrotated, and linkages connecting said weights and said shutter members.

6. In a fan construction, a rotatable central hub, a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced air moving radial vanes fixedly connected tosaid hub, said fixed vanes having a lower radial edge from which saidvanes are raised laterally upwardly and each of said fixed vanes havinga separately formed shutter member pivotally attached thereto adjacentits lower edge adapted to close the spaces between said fixed vanes whenthe fan is at a state of rest, means for pivotally raising each of saidshutter members toward their associated fixed vanes upon rotation ofsaid fan, said means including a weight pivotally mounted on each ofsaid fixed vanes swingable outwardly by centrifugal force when the fanis rotated and a linkage between each of said shutter members and itsadjacent weight operable to draw said shutter member toward said fixedair moving vane in response to the movement of said weight.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,191,418 Allen Feb. 20, 1940 2,383,001 Mader Aug. 21, 1945 2,383,002Mader Aug. 21, 1945 2,383,004 Mader Aug. 21, 1945 2,558,541 Cotten June26, 1951 2,626,743 Sanders Jan. 27, 1953 2,626,744 Sanders Jan. 27, 19532,656,971 Mader Oct. 27, 1953 2,673,681 Mader Mar. 30, 1954

